Moccasin shoe construction



Feb. 14, 1967 R'. J. POTVIN 3,

MOCCASIN SHOE CONSTRUCTION I Filed March 30, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig A9 I lo /2a /2 I w belt I United States Patent M 3,303,585 MOCCASIN SHOE CONSTRUCTHON Richard J. Potvin, Brockton, Mass., assignor to R. J. Potvin Shoe Company, Inc., a corporation of Massachusetts Filed Mar. 30, 1964, Ser. No. 355,537 4 Claims. (Cl. 36-11) This invention relates to shoes and more particularly to moccasin shoes of the smooth, closed bottom type described in my previous Patent 2,859,543.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a shoe construction which eliminates the seam up the back of the heel, while maintaining a completely closed, smooth bottom and a close fit in the heel.

The shoe upper here disclosed consists in general of a forepart having a central bottom seam and a curved toe scam in the forward part of the bottom, and a rear part extending around the heel and joined to the forward part at the sides. The rear part has bottom forming portions joined by a central bottom seam in line with the central seam of the forepart. The blank for forming the rear part is cut so that the margins of the bottom forming portions, which are to be joined by the central seam, are disposed at a large obtuse angle to one another. The shoe is finished by attaching an outsole, in any customary manner, and a heel may also be attached.

Other objects, advantages, and novel features will be apparent from the following description.

In the darwings illustrating the invention:

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of the blanks used to make a shoe according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the shoe upper with the forward and rear parts assembled, prior to closing the bottom;

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the fully assembled shoe upper; and

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of the com leted shoe.

The shoe upper, as here illustrated, is made from three blanks shown in FIG. 1, a quarter blank 10, vamp blank 11 and plug 12.

The quarter blank has a heel forming portion 13, quarter forming portions 14 and 15, and bottom forming flaps 16 and 17 attached to portions 14 and 15. For an oxford type of shoe the blank may have front fiaps 18 and 19. These parts of the blank may be suitably modified for pumps or sandals. The lower edges 16a and 17a of flaps 16 and 17 are disposed at a large obtuse angle with respect to one another, about 160 to 170.

The vamp blank 11 is cut like the central portion of the blank described in my previous Patent 2,859,543, and has a central portion 20, which forms the toe wall, side portions 21 and 22, and bottom forming flaps 23 and 24. The central portion has a curved forward edge 29a, and flaps 23 and 24 have curved forward edges 23a and 24a. Edge 20a is slightly longer than the combined length of edges 23:: and 24a, according to the relationship described in the aforesaid patent, wherein to margin 2% of the vamp blank. Margins 14a and a H 3,363,585 Patented Feb. 14, 1957 of the quarter blank are sewn to margins 22a and 21a, respectively, of the vamp blank. The partly assembled upper appears as in FIG. 2. It will be noted that the angular relationship of edges 16a, 17a, 23b and 24b, is such that when the bottom edges 23b, 24b of the vam blank are aligned with edges 17a and 16a respectively of the quarter blank, the back line 13a of the heel portion 13 slants slightly to the rear.

The next step in manufacture of the shoe is to close the bottom of the upper. Edge 20a is butt seamed to edges 23a and 24a, forming a curved toe seam 25. Edges 23b and 24b are butt seamed together, and edges 16a and 17a likewise seamed together forming a continuous central bottom seam 26. The bottom closing operation is preferably done on a sewing machine equipped with the presser bar and foot described in my copending application Serial No. 355,535, filed March 30, 1964.

This permits the central seam to be sewn from front to back, after first closing the toe seam, and insures accurate alignment of the front corners of flaps 23 and 24.

A back stay 26 is attached to the quarter and heel portions. The stay does not extend all the way up the heel at the rear, but ends preferably about a quarter of an inch below the upper edge 13b of the heel portion. A counter 27 may be inserted between the upper and the stay. The shoe is lasted and made to conform to the last. An outsole 28, which may include a heel lift 29 is attached in any usual manner, by adhesive or stitching, or both.

The seamless construction of the heel portion makes the heel smooth and comfortable. No reinforcing is required at the top edge of the heel, and the soft top margin can fit snugly without causing irritation. The slight flare or slope of the heel portion of the quarter, when initially assembled, provides enough material at the bottom so that the heel pocket shapes itself correctly on the last.

The vamp is here disclosed as made according to my Patent 2,859,543. A plugless, or one-piece vamp, having a notched forward edge in the toe portion, as described in my copending application Serial No. 355,535, filed March 30, 1964, may also be used with the quarter blank here disclosed.

What is claimed is:

1. A moccasin shoe comprising an upper including a vamp portion and a quarter portion, said vamp portion having bottom portions with a central longitudinal closure seam, and said quarter portion being formed of a single piece passing around the heel of the shoe and attached to the vamp portion at the sides and having integrally formed bottom portions joined together by a central 1ongitudinal closure seam aligned with the closure seam of said vamp bottom portion, and a back stay attached to said quarter portion and having an upper edge, said quarter portion having an upper edge spaced above that of said back stay.

2. A shoe as described in claim 1, the upper edge of said quarter portion being spaced above that of said back stay by about one quarter of an inch.

3. A blank for forming the quarter and heel portions of a moccasin shoe comprising a one piece strip having a central heel forming portion and two quarter forming portions one extending from either side thereof, each of said quarter forming portions having a bottom forming flap extending therefrom, and said flaps having lower edges disposed at a large obtuse angle with respect to one another.

4. A blank as described in claim 3, said lower edges being disposed at an angle of to with respect to each other.

(References on following page) I a 4 References Cited by the Examiner 2,859,543 11/ 1958 Potvin 36-11 V 4 UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,97 .,427 3/1961 Wolff 36 11 9/1911 M' h 11 36 47 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,123,437 9/1956 F 11/1942 Shields 3611 5 Lance 2 1950 Engel PATRICK D. LAWSON, Primary Examiner. 11/1954 Meltzer 36--11 FRANK J. COHEN, Examiner. 

1. A MOCCASIN SHOE COMPRISING AN UPPER INCLUDING A VAMP PORTION AND A QUARTER PORTION, SAID VAMP PORTION HAVING BOTTOM PORTIONS WITH A CENTRAL LONGITUDINAL CLOSURE SEAM, AND SAID QUARTER PORTION BEING FORMED OF A SINGLE PIECE PASSING AROUND THE HEEL OF THE SHOE AND ATTACHED TO THE VAMP PORTION AT THE SIDES AND HAVING INTEGRALLY FORMED BOTTOM PORTIONS JOINED TOGETHER BY A CENTRAL LONGITUDINAL CLOSURE SEAM ALIGNED WITH THE CLOSURE SEAM OF 